Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Ed Harris in the Clint Eastwood movie ‘Absolute Power’

Starring in the movie Absolute Power (1997) wasn’t enough for Clint Eastwood, who produced and directed the movie based on the 1996 David Baldacci novel also named Absolute Power. This crime drama is filled with action and political intrigue involving the United States president, a billionaire, a master thief and what happens when those elements collide.

(From left, Melora Hardin as Christy Sullivan and Gene Hackman as President Alan Richmond in the Clint Eastwood movie Absolute Power).

Absolute Power opens with master thief Luther Whitney having broken into the Washington DC area mansion of billionaire Walter Sullivan to steal, at minimum, from the bedroom vault of the man portrayed by E.G. Marshall. Whitney, as portrayed by Clint Eastwood, finds himself forced to hide in the bedroom vault with one-way mirror of the Virginia mansion when  Christy Sullivan returns to the bedroom on a drunken rendezvous with inebriated U.S. President Alan Richmond. Whitney watches as Richmond becomes sexually violent towards Sullivan, with Sullivan wounding the president with a letter opener in self-defense. Melora Hardin and Gene Hackman portrayed Christy Sullivan and President Richmond, respectively.

(From left, Scott Glenn as Bill Burton, Judy Davis as Gloria Russell and Dennis Haysbert as Tim Collin in the Clint Eastwood movie Absolute Power).

U.S. Secret Service agents Bill Burton and Tim Collin burst in when the president screams out in distress. Christy Sullivan is fatally shot when Burton and Collin, respectively portrayed by Scott Glenn and Dennis Haysbert, see Sullivan poised to stab Alan Richmond a second time. Presidential Chief of Staff Gloria Russell, as portrayed by Judy Davis, arrives to guide the secret service agents in staging the scene to look like a burglary gone wrong. Whitney goes undiscovered through much of this staging, not being discovered until making what turns out to be a successful escape from the scene of the crimes.

(From left, Ed Harris as Seth Frank and Clint Eastwood as Luther Whitney in the Clint Eastwood movie Absolute Power).

Portrayed by Ed Harris, Detective Seth Frank leads the police investigation into the Christy Sullivan death that had been staged to look like a burglary gone wrong. Whitney becomes a prime suspect in the investigation, which brings Luther Whitney’s estranged daughter Kate Whitney, as portrayed by Laura Linney, into the storyline.

(From left, E.G. Marshall as Walter Sullivan and Gene Hackman as President Alan Richmond in the Clint Eastwood movie Absolute Power).

Luther Whitney had a mind to flee the country in the aftermath of his escape from the Sullivan mansion. Becoming angry when seeing Alan Richmond offer an expression of empathy to Walter Sullivan following Christy Sullivan’s death that points to the cover-up, Luther Whitney changes course to one of proving the duplicity of Alan Richmond to Walter Sullivan. The portrayal of that, combined with the motivations and actions underpinning Richmond, Walter Sullivan, Bill Burton, Tim Collin, Michael McCarty as portrayed by Richard Jenkins, and others, offer a compelling line of intrigue and tension around how the competing end games will work themselves out.

(From left, Laura Linney as Kate Whitney and Richard Jenkins as Michael McCarty in the Clint Eastwood movie Absolute Power).

William Goldman proved a capable screenwriter in adapting Absolute Power for the movies. The ride offered intrigue, suspense and emotional stakes to allow me to recommend this movie for viewing. I give Absolute Power as directed and produced by Clint Eastwood 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, December 9, 2023

Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Juliette Lewis in the Jeremiah S. Chechik movie ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’

An aspiringly comedic and decidedly Midwestern United States notion of Christmas came to life in suburban Chicago, Illinois a while back. This notion was brought to us with the Jeremiah S. Chechik directed movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989). Big plans for a glorious family holiday, as are the fare that this franchise plays in, gave way to comedic disaster with the movie written by John Hughes.

(From left, William Hickey as Lewis Griswold, John Randolph as Clark Griswold Sr., Mae Questel as Bethany Griswold, Diane Ladd as Nora Griswold, Julliette Lewis as Audrey Griswold, Chevy Chase as Clark W. ‘Sparky’ Griswold Jr., Beverly D’Angelo as Ellen Griswold, Johnny Galecki as Rusty Griswold, E.G. Marshall as Art Smith, Doris Roberts as Francis Smith, Cody Burger as Rocky Johnson, Ellen Latzen as Ruby Sue Johnson, Randy Quaid as Eddie Johnson, and Miriam Flynn as Catherine Johnson in the Jeremiah S. Chechik movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation).

The movie opens with Clark ‘Sparky’ Griswold Jr., his wife Ellen, and his children Audrey, and Rusty awkwardly singing carols of the season as they drive to the country to walk through tightly packed snow to find and cutdown an evergreen tree to bring into their home for the holiday. It wasn’t until after venturing too far into the experience with misadventures to boot that the family realizes that tools were forgotten in pursuit of the endeavor. The family found success after much effort. Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki portrayed Clark, Ellen, Audrey and Rusty, respectively.

(From left, Nicholas Guest as Todd Chester and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Margo Chester in the Jeremiah S. Checkik movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation).

Each pair of Clark and Ellen’s parents arrive a short time later, arguing as they arrived at the front door of the Griswold house ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Clark takes on a mission to keep things on a positive keel by setting out to put an extraordinary amount of external lights and festive decorations outside the house with his son, Rusty. Clark Griswold Sr., Nora Griswold, Art Smith and Francis Smith, as the parents of Clark and Ellen, were portrayed by John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall and Doris Roberts, respectively.

(From left, Chevy Chase as Clark W. ‘Sparky’ Griswold Jr. and Nicolette Scorsese as Mary, a lingerie counter clerk in the Jeremiah S. Checkik movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation).

The effort to illuminate the house leads to a series of comedic wrong turns, some of which go horribly wrong for the Griswold’s. Todd and Margo Chester, as portrayed by Nicholas Guest and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, had a suspicious dislike of the Griswold’s before the exterior illumination project provoked a series of calamity’s that were visited upon the Chesters. Meanwhile, an afternoon of familial shopping commences where Ellen’s mother trips Clark in the attic because of how well heated the family home is throughout the home, save the attic.

(From left, Brian Doyle-Murray as Frank Shirley and Natalija Nogulich as Helen Shirley in the Jeremiah S. Checkik movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation).

An additional storyline about Clark’s relationship with leadership at his work leads to questions for how big or small the annual bonus will be this year. Randy Quaid as Eddie Johnson arrives at about this time with his wife, Catherine and their kids. A sad storyline presents itself here, incorporating a scene of fantastic revelry by Clark with thoughts aimed at the lingerie clerk, Mary, as portrayed by Nicolette Scorsese. Miriam Flynn portrayed Catherine Johnson. Lewis and Bethany Griswold, and their cat, make an additional appearance to help bring the full humorous treatment for the film its fullest impact.

(Aunt Bethany’s cat in the Jeremiah S. Checkik movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation).

While many of the humorous points of the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation are suggested above, there’s much more than meets the eye beyond what has been raised. In raising some of the realities for how families can make the full range of emotions come to the surface during the holidays is where the drama and humor many see in this movie rests. As National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as directed by Jeremiah S. Checkik and written by John Hughes 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, December 10, 2022